Moving your family can be a stressful experience for your loved ones, your friends and your co-workers. It is also a very stressful experience for your pets. They feel the stress of relocation in much the same way as we do.
So how do you make the experience easier for them? Understanding how best to take care of them before, during and after the move can go a long way to making sure your pets do not suffer during the moving process.
The smartest thing you can do for pets before the move is to keep them in their daily routine. Keep their food dishes, litter boxes and cages in the same spot up until moving day if at all possible. That will minimize the stress that they will feel from the rearrangement of other items inside the house.
On moving day you will need to find a way to keep roaming animals like cats and dogs secured so that they don’t interfere. Strongly consider taking them to a familiar family member or friend for the day so that you are able to concentrate on the move. Also, don’t forget to put an identification tag on their collar in case the animal accidentally escapes your care on moving day.
For animals that live in cages like hamsters and guinea pigs, put the cage in a spot that is out of the way. Better yet, take them to a family member or friend to eliminate the need to care for them on the day of. If you do decide to have them with you on moving day, leave space for them in your own vehicle to keep them comfortable.
If you do transport your pet on moving day, make sure you have plenty of fresh water and extra food available. Avoid having the car parked in sunny locations with your pet inside as well.
Once the move is complete, you should work to establish your pet’s previous routine as soon as possible. Feed your pet at the same time of day and unpack familiar items immediately to make them comfortable in their new surroundings.
Still worried about how to safely transport your pet? Call Stewart Smith of Two Men and a Truck at 905-952-2229 for additional information on how to care for your pet during your move.